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Anatoli Garshnek received his elementary and secondary education in Petseri. In 1937, Garshnek entered the Tallinn Conservatory as the student of the school music education department, but his studies were interrupted by the Second World War. In 1945–1950, Garshnek continued his studies at the conservatory in the composition class of Prof. Heino Eller. He improved his skill at the Moscow Conservatory under the supervision of Prof. Semjon Bogatyriov. In 1950, he became the Master of Arts.
Since 1954 to his death Garshnek worked as the pedagogue at the Tallinn State Conservatory (in 1963–1965 as the dean, from 1968 to 1978, as the head of the composition and musicology department, in 1986, he was elected as the professor and in 1994 as the professor emeritus). Besides teaching composition, he also lectured music theory.
Anatoli Garshnek’s music is closely related to the folklore of his birthplace, Setumaa in the southern Estonia. Five Setu Songs, a cycle for voice (1953, text: traditional and Lea Tormis) and Peipsi Songs, a suite for female choir (1961, text: traditional) can be the representatives of his relation to Setu folk music. Specific national traits can also be found in Garshnek’s large scale works, Symphony No. 1 (1953) and Piano Quintet (1955) among them. As a result of numerous expeditions to Setumaa, organized for collecting folk music, there are many Setu influences in the works of Garshnek’s students, too. In addition to the works influenced by folk music, also large scale vocal compositions on topic of history and society form another important side of Garshnek’s oeuvre.
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